I hope you enjoy looking around here; feel free to hang out all you like. Mostly I talk about football, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, a little bit of politics and my last cruise vacation (not necessarily in that order). Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email any time.

Friday, August 10, 2007

We went out with some friends to Coldstone last night and when we got home, Mrs. High Lord and I noticed that the house seemed a little warm. Not surprising considering that earlier in the day it was 97° outside and that our poor little air conditioner has been overworked and on death's door for about the last five years.

As the night wore on, I was downstairs in the computer room, which is normally the coolest room in the house. It's got no windows for light and heat to come in, and it's downstairs where all the cool air goes. At about halftime of the Dallas/Indy game, I noticed that I was breaking a light sweat, so I went up stairs to find my wife in the thinnest nightie she has. While this would normally be a turn-on, she was flushed and also sweating (again, not in the good way).

"It's been blowing hot air for the last hour or so," she laments.

So after a night of burning up (at least I had the foresight to turn the temperature down on the waterbed), I started calling places this morning. I figure it will cost me $3700-4500 to replace the AC and the furnace. We've been praying that they would last "just one more season" but it looks like they've gone on to the Great Appliance Maker in the Sky.

Of course, with the temperatures up (who says there's no such thing as global warming!?!?!?), everyone and their brother needs the AC guys, so I might be without AC over the weekend until someone can come out and take a look at it.

I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but would anyone like to go on a cruise to Alaska?

3. If a song "belongs" to another American Idol performer, don't even try it. "Summertime" is Fantasia's. "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" is Clay's. You will only be a pale imitation, so don't bother.

4. Listen to what Simon has to say and ignore the way he says it; he's a pompous idiot, but he's also usually right.

5. Don't argue with the judges; it just makes you look whiney and ungrateful.

6. Be mentally tough or the show will chew you up and spit you out, no matter how good a singer you are.

7. Sing every song like it's going to be your last and don't take any week for granted because every year someone unexpectedly gets whacked.

8. Any falsetto is too much falsetto.

9. If you didn't get on TV during the audition rounds and Hollywood, you got hosed. Don't complain about it. Thank American Idol for the opportunity and be grateful you don't have to shill for Fox/Freemantle/19E for the rest of your life.

10. Don't read silly blogs and message boards. Do your best because no matter what you do, some hack with a website will write things about you you don't believe and you don't think are true. Suck it up, ignore the blather and prove them wrong!

Dave's Season 10 Idol Glossary

AFE - The Anthony Fedorov Effect, or the tendency to sing power ballads that show off a money note at the end

CCS - Crappy Coronation Song

Dead Man's Spot - The lead-off spot in the order, statistically a dangerous place to have to sing

GDM - Gay Dance Moves guy, Jacob Lusk

IBG - Interchangeable Blonde Girl

O1NS - Obligatory One-Named Singer in the tradition of Trenyce, Mandisa, and Vonzell.

OIG - Obama Intern Girl Molly Swensen

OTP - One Trick Pony

PCC - Psycho Crying Chick Ashley Sullivan

Pimp Spot - Getting to sing last, statistically a very good place to sing

SOB - Stars on Boobs Girl Tiffany Rios

T/AG - Tourette's/Asperger's Guy James Durbin

TCO - The Chosen One

VSC - Very Special Contestant, a singer who is handed a bajillion votes with their touching sob story and massive face time